Wildfires have burned thousands of acres across northern Minnesota, sending smoke into communities around the state and prompting air quality alerts.

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  Live updates Get the latest information on wildfires in Minnesota
  
  

MPR News guest host Kelly Gordon talks with meteorologists about the combination of heat, rainfall, humidity, wind and drought that can increase wildfire risk. They'll also discuss what this summer's weather patterns can tell us about the weeks ahead, how smoke travels hundreds of miles from fires and how a changing climate is influencing fire seasons in Minnesota.

Guests:

• Ben Cathey is the chief meteorologist for MPR News.
• Sven Sundgaard is a meteorologist for MPR News.
• Mandy Thalhuber is a meteorologist for MPR News.
• Jeff Masters is a meteorologist who writes about extreme weather for Yale Climate Connections, a news service that focuses on climate change. He is a former hurricane hunter and the co-founder of the commercial weather service, Weather Underground.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.